Three Unique and Skillfully Crafted Shaved Ice Creations in Azabu and Roppongi
With daytime highs continuing over 35°C, the summer heat feels relentless.
Have you ever found yourself wanting to cool down your heated body from the inside out?
In this article, we introduce shaved ice shops around THE LIVELY TOKYO AZABUJYUBAN that can deliciously satisfy that desire.
This time, our hotel staff visited three shops in total, tried each of their most popular items, and included our impressions in the descriptions.
Azabu Yasai Gashi
The first shop we introduce is Azabu Yasai Gashi, located about a 9-minute walk from the hotel, on the first floor of an apartment building along Azabu Street.
Usually, this confectionery is known for offering “slightly luxurious sweets made with vegetables,” but from March to November they serve shaved ice as well. Inside the café space, there are five tables, creating a small but calm atmosphere where guests can enjoy their food.
For those who want to enjoy the contrast of the hot summer air and cold shaved ice under the open sky, or for those who dislike the chill of air conditioning, there are also two terrace seats available at the front of the shop.
On the dessert menu, there are 6 to 8 types of shaved ice made with seasonal vegetables and fruits (the lineup changes depending on the season). In addition, you will also find other vegetable-based desserts unique to this shop, such as sweet potato with vanilla ice cream and spinach matcha Mont Blanc.
This time, our staff tried the Fig Shaved Ice and the Avocado Shaved Ice.
As soon as we ordered, tall piles of shaved ice in transparent glass bowls were brought to us on wooden trays. The deep reddish-brown flower-shaped plates placed underneath the bowls beautifully highlighted the transparency and refreshing look of the glass and the shaved ice.
The Fig Shaved Ice had rich Houraishi fig sauce poured layer after layer over the ice, creating a beautiful vermilion marble-like pattern that slowly flowed down like a mountain stream along a snowy peak. When scooped up with a shallow metal spoon and put in the mouth, the fluffy ice melted instantly while the sweet and sour flavor of the sauce and the rich tang of cream cheese spread out. Large chunks of fig had a sticky texture with a mellow sweetness, but they left a refreshing aftertaste. Though rich in flavor, the overall taste was well-balanced, making it suitable even for those who don’t like overly sweet shaved ice.
The Avocado Shaved Ice we ordered together was striking in appearance, with its pale yellow-green sauce of heavy texture topped sparsely with blueberries. The creamy richness and smoothness of avocado, known as “butter of the forest,” was preserved, while the sweetness of blueberry sauce and condensed milk beautifully erased any green bitterness, creating a multi-layered taste. This “balanced complexity” felt like the very essence of what this shop, which works with the theme of vegetables and sweets, is best at.
In addition to fig and avocado, Azabu Yasai Gashi also offers shaved ice with mini tomato, celery, and even eggplant with red wine. It is perfect not only for vegetable lovers, but also for anyone who wants to experience the hidden potential of vegetables, or who wants a theme beyond just cooling down with shaved ice.
Shop Information
- Shop name: Azabu Yasai Gashi
- Address: 3-1-5 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045
- Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00 | Sat–Sun 11:00–18:30
- Closed: Tuesdays
IWAZAWA
The second shop is IWAZAWA, located on the first floor of an apartment building just around the corner after exiting Azabujuban Station Exit 1 of the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. It is about an 8-minute walk from the hotel. The interior has a calm and dim atmosphere, with an L-shaped counter and a total of 14 chairs.
From the seats, you can watch the open kitchen where two ice shaving machines are working, and see your own shaved ice being prepared. Orders are made with meal tickets, including toppings, and within about 10 minutes after sitting down, our shaved ice was brought out. This time, we tried one of their popular items, the Miyazaki Mango DX. Size options include Large, Regular, or Small, and there are also five kinds of toppings to choose from. Some of them are unusual, such as Parmigiano cheese and espuma, which spark a sense of adventure.
The shaved ice that arrived was covered so completely with thick mango sauce that almost no ice could be seen. This solved the common problem of shaved ice becoming watered down near the end. The dish was served in a simple white ceramic bowl that made the vibrant fruit stand out. On top of the ice, large chunks of fresh mango were generously piled, their glossy, perfectly ripened texture drawing our gaze. Along with the hammered metal spoon, a small fork was provided to enjoy the fruit on its own.
The sun-ripened Miyazaki mangoes had such high sugar content that they seemed to be among the sweetest of all natural fruits. Their texture was sticky yet soft, melting easily on the tongue. As we dug further into the shaved ice, we were surprised to find passion fruit pulp and seeds inside—an ingenious touch to keep the flavor and texture from becoming monotonous.
If you feel ordinary shaved ice is not enough, and you want to enjoy luxurious fresh fruit together with shaved ice, we highly recommend visiting IWAZAWA.
Shop Information
- Shop name: IWAZAWA
- Address: 2-21-9 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045 (Ajiro Court 1F)
- Hours: 11:00–22:00 (Last order 21:30)
Kakigori hana
The last shop we introduce is Kakigori hana, located about a 1-minute walk from Exit 7 of Roppongi Station on the Toei Oedo Line. It is run by two female university students who rent space in the basement floor of a multi-tenant building. Inside, the shop was lively with young women of their generation, drawn to the owners’ youthful sense of aesthetics and their refined techniques.
Among their lineup of seven unique and carefully made creations are shaved ice featuring pudding as the main attraction, or even roasted corn. This time, our staff chose to try the Melting Strawberry Daifuku Shaved Ice.
The finely shaved, cotton-like ice absorbed the vivid red strawberry syrup, and on top of it, soft mochi skin draped heavily under its own weight. As the name suggests, the texture of the mochi was truly “melting,” and its gentle sweetness harmonized beautifully with the tartness of the strawberries. As we dug deeper into the shaved ice, we discovered white miso cream. Despite having no strong smell, it was rich in flavor and dramatically shifted the taste profile toward a “Japanese” style, serving as a surprising accent. At the very bottom of the refreshing glass bowl was smooth red bean paste, making the shaved ice interesting until the very last bite.
As mentioned earlier, Kakigori hana is run by current university students. The representative, Ms. Okuyama, who eats more than 100 bowls of shaved ice every year, teamed up with Ms. Yamagami, who shares the same passion, to launch a project for their “ideal shaved ice shop” that balances both cuteness and authenticity. In between their busy student lives, they raised funds through crowdfunding, brainstormed various recipe ideas, and finally realized their dream of opening the shop. Though the shop will only be open until the end of September, the bowls of shaved ice created with their enthusiasm and outstanding skills are something you should definitely experience before summer ends.
Shop Information
- Shop name: Kakigori hana
- Address: Sanko Building B1F, 4-12-12 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
- Hours: Mon–Thu 11:00–17:00 | Fri–Sun 11:00–19:00
The three shops we introduced this time are all within a 20-minute walk from our hotel, and also very easy to access from nearby subway stations. You can choose to walk while enduring the heat, or take the cooler underground passages. Either way, we are confident that you will enjoy delicious shaved ice while cooling down—these are shops we can recommend without hesitation.
Please note that some shops may require reservations.